Oven closure and hinge construction



April 7, 1964 H. E. MILLS 3,127,889

OVEN CLOSURE AND HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 23, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CC #9712972 Z, M1715.

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OVEN CLOSURE AND HINGE CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 23, 1960 INVENTOR. flarzerf United States Patent C) 3 127 889 OVEN CLOSURE AN D have]: CONSTRUCTION Herbert E. Mills, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Mills Products, 1112., Walled Lake, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 57,964 4 Claims. (Cl. 126-194) This invention relates to stoves and has particular reference to built-in ovens and to closure and hinge construction therefor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved construction for built-in ovens.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hinge arrangement for closures for builtin ovens which makes it possible to move the closure out of the way when it is in open position so as to provide easier access to the oven and to minimize the working area required in front of the oven.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hinge construction for oven closures which is better adapted to support the closure in its open posi tion as a shelf in front of the oven.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved closure and hinge construction for ovens which makes it possible to manufacture the closure and hinge as a finished unit and to assemble such unit with the otherwise finished stove, and to remove the closure unit therefrom without requiring disassembly of the closure unit or the stove.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there are six sheets, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a built-in oven embodying the invention with the closure in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the oven with the closure in an intermediate position for broiling purposes;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the oven, showing the closure horizontally positioned and within the compartment therefor below the oven;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the oven, showing the closure in its closed position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the oven without the closure, partly broken away;

FIG. 6 is a reduced fragmentary side elevational view of the closure and carriage taken generally along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the closure and carriage as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the closure in an intermediate position;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIGS. 7 and 9 but showing the closure in its fully open position;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are sectional views taken along the lines 11-11 and 12-12, respectively, of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the hinge construction taken along the line 13-13 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line 14-14 of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line 15-15 of FIG. 13.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, a stove embodying my invention comprises a heat insulated cooking oven 20 having one or more electric resistance heating elements 22 therein and a front access opening 24, a pivoted closure or door 26, a compartment 28 open at the front and disposed below the oven 20 and insulated therefrom, a track indicated generally at 30 extending from the front to the rear of the compartment 28 at the sides thereof, and a carriage or slide indicated generally at 32 mounted on the track 3t for movement therealong, the closure 26 being pivotally mounted on the carriage 32 for movement from its closed position as shown in FIG. 4 to its fully open position as shown in FIG. 1. The carriage 32 by means of the hinge indicated generally at 34 supports the closure 26 in its fully open position as a shelf in front of and below the oven, as shown in FIG. 1, or within the compartment 28 when the carriage 32 is fully retracted as shown in FIG. 3.

The stove as illustrated comprises a built-in oven having a sheet metal outer shell 36 within which is secured a sheet metal lining to form the oven 20 and the compartment 23, insulation being provided between such lining and the shell 36 and between the oven 29 and the compartment 28 so as to reduce the transmission of heat from the oven 20. Compartment 28 is a storage compartment for the closure 26 when the closure is in its open position so as to get the closure 26 out of the way and provide easy access to the oven 20 through the front access opening 24 thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inner and outer sheet metal panels which form the side, top, and bottom walls of the oven, such as the panels 38, 4t 42, 44, 46 and 48, are secured at the front of the oven to a rectangular frame indicated generally at 50. The frame 50 is provided with a continuous flange 52 which defines the access opening 24 to the oven 20, and the sheet metal panels forming the oven lining may be welded to the flange 52 as shown. The outer periphery of the frame 50 projects outwardly beyond the outer panels forming the shell 36, the front edges of such panels as well as the front edge of the panel 48 being welded or otherwise fastened to the frame 50 as shown.

The outwardly projecting portions of the frame 50 provide a stop for seating against the outside of the wall around the opening therein in which the built-in oven is installed. The panel 48 cooperates with the frame 50 and with the lower portion of shell 36 to define the compartment 28 which as shown in FIG. 5 extends horizontally below the oven 20. The outer periphery of the frame 50 is flanged as indicated at 54 at the sides and across the top and bottom thereof to form a seat or surface for receiving and locating a rectangular trim panel 56, the outer periphery of which is flanged as shown at 58 so as to have a snug slip fit over the flange 54- of the frame 5%). The trim panel 56 may be formed of stainless steel or any other suitably finished trim stock. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the trim panel 56 is provided with an inner flange 60 which at the sides and top of the oven seats against the outer face 61 of frame 5%) and the inner edge of the flange 60 is turned over or beaded as illustrated for cooperation with a series of spring clips 62 carried by the frame 50 whereby the trim panel is removably secured to the frame 50 without any exposed fastening means.

The frame 50 comprises a member 63 preferably formed from a continuous strip of metal stock stepped in cross section and formed in the shape of an inverted U as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and a horizontally extending frame member 66 Welded to the legs 70 of U-shaped member 63 so as to define the lower edge of the access opening 24 and the upper edge of the compartment 28. The frame 50 also includes a horizontally extending frame member 68 which is Welded to the ends of downwardly projecting legs 76 of the member 63 and which defines the lower edge of the entrance to the compartment 28.

The trim panel '6 may be removed by applying suflicient force thereon to cause the spring clips 62 to yield and release their engagement with the flange 6'1 and the trim panel 56 may be applied by sliding the flange 58 thereof over the flange 5 and pushing the panel 56 toward the frame 5% until the flange 6% is engaged and secured by the spring clips 62.

As ovens of this type are built-in and concealed by the wall in which they are disposed, the only exposed portion of the stove when the closure 26 is ciosed is the closure and the trim panel 56. It will be evident that the trim panels 56 and the closure 26 may be of any desired color or finish, and that the trim panel 56 may have a shape or form different from that shown. For less expensive stoves, the trim panel 56 may be omitted and the frame 50 may be finished and formed to provide the exposed portion of the stove except for the closure 26. In addition to functioning as a trim member, the trim panel 56 covers the surfaces of the frame 50 which are heated to some extent since the flange 52 thereof extends into the oven 20.

Although not illustrated, the upper and lower horizontally extending portions of the flanges 54 and 58 may be provided with small vents or apertures so as to permit the thermal circulation of air through the space enclosed by ithe frame 50 and the trim panel 56 so as to cool the atter.

The window unit is of an area substantially equal to the area of the access opening 24 whereby the entire interior of the oven 20 and food therein may be easily observed without opening the closure 26. It is customary to provide ovens with lights therein which go on automatically when the oven door is opened, and where oven doors are provided with windows it is customary to provide a manually operated switch accessible on the outside of the stove whereby the light in the oven may be turned on without opening the oven door when it is desired to observe the progress of food being cooked in the oven, and I contemplate that such a light and control therefor may be employed in the built-in oven embodying the invention. However, as the closure for the built-in oven embodying my invention is substantially co-extensive in area with the access opening to the oven, it may be practical in some cases to dispense with such an oven light in view of the fact that the closure of my invention in effect provides a window as a closure for the oven and thus will admit substantially as much light to the oven as will be admitted when the closure is in its open position.

However, the invention is not limited to using a window of an area co-extensive with that of the access opening to the oven, and the closure 26 additionally includes a section 84 which extends below the window section 82 and covers the bottom wall of the oven and the compartment 28 when the closure is in its closed position. The section 84 essentially consists of a hollow panel, the outer exposed surface of which may be finished in any suitable way. The inside surfaces of the window section 82 and of the section 84 are substantially flat and smooth so as to form an article supporting shelf when the closure 26 is in its open position, and projecting away from the oven as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

The compartment 28 is of a depth to substantially accommodate the closure 26 and the carriage 32 when the closure 26 is horizontally disposed and the carriage 32 is retracted to its innermost position. The inward depth of the compartment 28 may be greater so as to fully accommodate the closure 26, or may be of a lesser depth, the size of the compartment 28 in this respect being dependent, of course, upon the overall size of the oven,

and its ability to accommodate the closure 26 being dependent to some extent upon the size of the closure 26, which in turn depends upon the vertical extent of the access opening 24 to the oven.

The panel 48 which forms the upper wall of the compartment 28 at its front end is seated within and welded to a flange 86 of the frame member 66, while the panel 46 which forms the bottom wall of the oven is seated against and may be welded to a flange 52 on the frame member 66, the flanges 86 and 52 being substantially parallel to each other.

In forming the frame 5th a continuous strip of metal stock may be subjected to a series of forming operations in a rolling machine so as to provide the stepped configuration as shown in PEG. 4, and a strip of a length suitable to form the top and the two sides of the frame is then notched at spaced intervals along one side thereof and partially transversely slit at spaced intervals along the opposite side thereof opposite the notching so that the strip may be bent at the notches in the form of a U, and thereafter the frame members 66 and 68 may be Welded to the legs of the U to form the frame 50.

The closure 26 is pivotally mounted on the carriage or slide 32 which, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 15, comprises spaced bars or hinge members 99 and 2 interconnected by a channel-shaped member 94. Each of the bars 90 and 22 has a pair of wheels 96 journaled thereon and a hinge pin 98 secured thereto. Each hinge pin 98 consists of a stud having a head 106 which seats against one side of the bar 2f) around the hole therein through which the stud projects, and such stud is provided with an extension 102 of reduced diameter which projects through a hole in a plate or hinge member 104 secured to one side of the closure by bolts 106, and the reduced portion of the stud 102 is provided with a head which bears against the plate 104 around the hole therein whereby the bar 96 is pivoted on the stud 98 and confined between the head 1% and the plate 16 thereby forming a pivotal connection between one side of the closure 26 and the bar 90.

A link 108 is pivotally connected by means of a pin Ill) to the closure at a point spaced above the hinge pin 98, and such link extends across the hinge pin 98 and is provided at its other end with a roller 112 which rolls or slides in a slot 114 in the hinge member 90, thus providing a pin and slot connection between the link 108 and the hinge member 96. A coil spring 116 anchored at one end to a lug on the link 108 and at its other end to a lug on the hinge member 90 reacts on the link 108 and the hinge member 96 so as to bias the closure 26 to its closed position. The wheels 96 on the hinge member 90 roll in the section 118 of the track 36 on one side of the compartment. The construction of the other side of the carriage corresponds with that just described so that the hinge member 92 is pivoted to the other side of the door in a similar fashion, and a link 120 corresponding with the link 108 is pivoted at one end to the closure 26 and at its other end has a pin and slot connection with the hinge member 92.

The hinge member 92 has two rollers or Wheels 96 thereon which run in the section 122 at the other side of the compartment 28, and a spring 124 like spring 116 reacts on the link 120 and the hinge member 92 for biasing the closure to its closed position. The slots 114 and in the hinge members 96 and 92 are each provided with an offset portion 126, as clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 10, thereby providing abutments 128 which cooperate with the rollers 112 to hold the closure 26 in an intermediate position for broiling purposes. The rollers will roll up the abutments 128 if the closure 26 is quickly closed, but the slope of the abutments 128 is sufficient to cooperate with the rollers 112 to check further closing movement of the closure 26 if the closure 26 is closed relatively slowly as the rollers 112 approach the abutments 128.

T e rails or channels 118 and 122 which form the track 30 are interconnected at their back ends by a cross member 130 which is bolted to the rear wall of the shell 36, while the front ends of such sections 118 and 122 are interconnected by a cross member 132, the flange 134 of which is bolted to brackets 136 welded to the inside face of the bottom frame member 68 whereby the track 30 is horizontally secured within the compartment 28. The hinge members 90 and 92 are each provided with an ear 138 which as shown in FIG. 4 are engageable with the cross member 132 to limit the normal forward travel of the carriage 32. However, the top of the rails or channels 118 and 122 at the forward ends thereof are cut away as indicated at 140 so that when the carriage 32 is in its forward position and the closure 26 is partly open, the carriage 32 may be withdrawn from the compartment 28 through the open front thereof by lifting the front end of the carriage so that the ears 138 will clear the cross member 132 and then moving the carriage forwardly out of the compartment 28. It will be noted from FIG. 5 that the panel 48 which forms the upper wall of the compartment 28 is upwardly offset along the side thereof as indicated at 142 to accommodate the springs 116 and 124 and the links 108 and 120, and that the ends of the face 64 of the member 63 are notched as indicated at 144 so as to clear such springs and links as the carriage is withdrawn from or inserted into the compartment 28.

Thus it will be evident that the closure 26 is carried by the carriage or slide 32 and that the carriage 32 with the closure 26 attached thereto may be conveniently removed from the stove or assembled therewith without the necessity of partially disassembling the stove or the carriage or the closure. This arrangement affords advantages not only from the standpoint of manufacturing, but also from the standpoint of the user.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details :set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A heat insulated cooking oven having a heating element therein and a front access opening, a compartment open at the front and disposed below said oven, a heat insulating wall separating said compartment and oven, a track extending from the front to the rear of said compartment, a carriage removably mounted on said track for movement therealong, a closure for said access opening and the open front end of said compartment and comprising a rectangular frame and a window mounted in the frame so as to be in line with said oven when the closure is in its closed position, a hinge connection between the frame of said closure and said carriage to support said closure for pivotal movement from its closed to a horizontal position as a shelf in front of and below said oven, said hinge connection including supporting links having a pivotal connection with said closure frame and a pin and slot connection with said carriage and spanning the hinge axis, means engageable with said links to form a stop for limiting opening movement of said closure, counterbalancing springs reacting on said links and carriage for biasing said closure to its closed position, and a second stop partially formed from said links and cooperable with said links for holding said closure ajar, said closure when horizontally supported by said carriage being movable into said compartment, said carriage and track being constructed so as to permit a user to remove said carriage as a unit with the closure hinged thereto, from said track by withdrawing said carriage from said compartment.

2. A heat insulated cooking oven having a heating element therein and a front access opening, a compartment open at the front and disposed below said oven and insulated therefrom, a track extending from the front to the rear of said compartment at the sides thereof, a carriage mounted on said track for movement therealong, a closure for said access opening and the open front end of said compartment and comprising a frame and a window mounted in the frame so as to be in line with said oven when the closure is in its closed position, a hinge and linkage pivotally connecting said closure and carriage for supporting said closure in its full open position horizontally within said compartment and as a shelf in front of and below said oven, and a spring reacting between said linkage and carriage for biasing said closure to its closed position, stops cooperable with said linkage for holding said closure in a partially open position and for limiting opening movement of said closure, and means to prevent the normal movement of said carriage of the front end of said track While permitting the removal of said carriage as a unit while attached to the closure through the front end of said compartment.

3. A heat insulated cooking oven having a heating element therein and a front access opening, a compartment open at the front and disposed below said oven and insulated therefrom, a slide removably mounted in said compartment for movement from front to back thereof, a closure for said access opening and the open front end of said compartment and comprising a frame and a Window mounted in the frame so as to be in line with said oven when the closure is in its closed position, a hinge and linkage pivotally connecting said closure and slide to support said closure in its closed position and in its full open position horizontally within said compartment and as a shelf in front of and below said oven, a spring reacting on said linkage for biasing said closure to its closed position, stops cooperable with said linkage for holding said closure in a partially open or in a fully open position, and means to prevent the normal movement of said slide out of the front end of said compartment while permitting the removal of said slide as a unit while attaehed to the closure through the front end of said compartment.

4. A heat insulated cooking oven having a heating element therein and a front access opening, a compartment open at the front and disposed below said oven and insulated therefrom, a track extending from the front to the rear of said compartment at the sides thereof, a carriage removably mounted on said track for movement therealong, a closure for said access opening and the open front end of said compartment, a hinge and linkage pivotally connecting said closure and carriage so as to support said closure in its closed position and in its full open position horizontally within said compartment and as a shelf in front of and below said oven, a spring reacting on said linkage for biasing said closure to its closed position, stops cooperatble with said 'linkage for holding said closure in a plurality of open positions, and means to prevent the normal movement of said carriage oif the front end of said track while permitting the removal of said car-riage as a unit while attached to the closure through the front end of said compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,718 Hobson et a1 Feb. 4, 1936 2,319,004 Lotter May 11, 1943 2,587,527 Reeves Feb. 26, 1952 2,612,154 Mills Sept. 30, 1952 2,800,128 Chesser July 23, 1957 2,839,044 P-hares June :17, 1958 2,851,029 Fry et a1 Sept. 9, 1958 2,925,081 Shooter Feb. 16, 1960 2,934,059. Baker Apr. 26, 1960 

1. A HEAT INSULATED COOKING OVEN HAVING A HEATING ELEMENT THEREIN AND A FRONT ACCESS OPENING, A COMPARTMENT OPEN AT THE FRONT AND DISPOSED BELOW SAID OVEN, A HEAT INSUALTING WALL SEPARATING SAID COMPARTMENT AND OVEN, A TRACK EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT TO THE REAR OF SAID COMPARTMENT, A CARRIAGE REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, A CLOSURE FOR SAID ACCESS OPENING AND THE OPEN FRONT END OF SAID COMPARTMENT AND COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR FRAME AND A WINDOW MOUNTED IN THE FRAME SO AS TO BE IN LINE WITH SAID OVEN WHEN THE CLOSURE IS IN ITS CLOSED POSITION, A HINGE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FRAME OF SAID CLOSURE AND SAID CARRIAGE TO SUPPORT SAID CLOSURE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT FROM ITS CLOSED TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION AS A SHELF IN FRONT OF AND BELOW SAID OVEN, SAID HINGE CONNECTION INCLUDING SUPPORTING LINKS HAVING A PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH SAID CLOSURE FRAME AND A PIN AND SLOT CONNECTION WITH CARRIAGE AND SPANNING THE HINGE AXIS, MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID LINKS TO FORM A STOP FOR LIMITING OPENING MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE, COUNTERBALANCING SPRINGS REACTING ON SAID LINKS AND CARRIAGE FOR BIASING SAID CLOSURE TO ITS CLOSED POSITION, AND A SECOND STOP PARTIALLY FORMED FROM SAID LINKS AN COOPERABLE WITH SAID LINKS FOR HOLDING SAID CLOSURE AJAR, SAID CLOSURE WHEN HORIZONTALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID CARRIAGE BEING MOVABLE INTO SAID COMPARTMENT, SAID CARRIAGE AND TRACK BEING CONSTRUCTED SO AS TO PERMIT A USER TO REMOVE SAID CARRIAGE AS A UNIT WITH THE CLOSURE HINGED THERETO, FROM SAID TRACK BY WITHDRAWING SAID CARRIAGE FROM SAID COMPARTMENT. 